Cyber awareness month: Cyberbullying and defamation

Crime is changing. Where a person’s concern once centred around traditional crimes including burglary, mugging or blackmail, modern crime sees an increase in online deception scams and virtual impersonation.

More than 17 million Britons have been hit by cybercrime in the past year1. Criminal activity including phishing, ransomware, online fraud and hacking are all large contributors to the increase in cybercrime activity.

A lack of understanding about online security suggests the public are not doing enough to protect themselves. Many individuals are putting themselves in vulnerable positions every day as their knowledge of threat awareness is minimal. However, as cybercriminals become more sophisticated, they are finding new ways to hack your virtual personal space. As a key topic of concern in today’s society, UK General Insurance has identified the need for a personal cyber protection insurance. Designed to protect the everyday man and woman on the street, our product has five sections of cover. It’s designed to protect against the financial loss associated with cyberbullying and defamation, recovery of insured data, online sales fraud, online shopping fraud and online theft of personal funds.

This October it is cyber awareness month and what better product to focus on than our very own personal cyber protection product? With five sections of cyber related cover, we’ll explore a section a week across the month to provide in depth insight with real life case studies and expert opinions. Through education we hope to provide a greater understanding of the threats we face today and how real people have been affected by cybercrime. In the first week of our series, we will explore cyberbullying and defamation.

Cyberbullying and defamation

The internet has become a hive of incognito activity allowing individuals to hide behind masks of anonymity. This has led to an increased threat of cybercrime and more specifically cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the act of bullying that takes place over digital devices including mobile phones, computers and tablets. It can occur through SMS, text and apps, or via social media, forums or gaming1

According to cyberbullying.org, 34% of teens have been cyberbullied and 15% admit to bullying others2. In 2017, Ditch the label reported a staggering 68% of young adults who had experienced cyberbullying had been sent a nasty private message via a social platformand a further 43% of the sample had developed social anxiety as a result3. Sadly, these activities may lead to more significant actions. A recent tragedy saw a young adult, aged 17, took his own life after years of being bullied on social media. As a result of this devastation, The Duke of Cambridge was inspired by his story and has launched a code of conduct with children’s charities, parents and tech firms including Google and EE to beat cyberbullying4.

Anyone can become a victim of cybercrime. With accessibility to the internet now easier than ever, it’s important to ensure you are protected online. Aside from the vast number of protection initiatives available, for example CyberAware, UK General Insurance look to tackle the loss associated with cyberbullying. We provide cover against the financial loss that may be experienced through the act of being bullyied online. For example, this may include a specialist service provider removing online material relevant to the online bullying or defamation. Policies can contribute towards the cost of professional help including specialist counsellors and computer forensic experts.